Kent County Council has launched its Big Conversation programme online, allowing residents to take part in a consultation on the future of rural transport services. For the next eight weeks, until August 8, residents can have their say on how rural transport could look in the future as KCC faces ever decreasing funding to support…
The future of electric buses in Kent is being considered after a trial in Dartford came to an end. Back in March, Kent County Council launched a seven-week trial on the Fastrack route. Working with Volvo and ABB, a Swedish-Swiss engineering group, the electric bus produced no emissions and is driven by electric motors. The…
Youngsters who have a KCC Young Person’s Travel Pass (YPTP) will soon be able to travel on Arriva buses in the evening, during the holidays and at weekends for free. It means that children will be able to ride Arriva buses outside of the normal Monday to Friday 6am-7pm slot. The new initiative is set…
Proposed reductions to subsidised bus routes in Kent have been drastically scaled back following positive talks with bus companies and the decision by KCC to reduce the required savings from £2.25 million to £455,000 in this coming financial year. Subsidised bus services represent just 3% of the network in Kent. The remaining 97% of services…
The Leader of Kent County Council is to meet with Arriva and Stagecoach to establish which routes they will run as scheduled and which will need subsidy ahead of a consultation on Socially Necessary Bus Service funding in January. The discussions with commercial bus operators will look at the likelihood of the bus companies taking…
Youngsters who have a KCC Young Person’s Travel Pass will now be able to travel on Chalkwell buses for £1, in the evening and at weekends. Chalkwell, the Sittingbourne-based company has announced a great fare initiative, which builds on the concessionary travel provided by Kent County Council. Between 6am and 7pm Monday to Friday, school terms…
Kent County Council will be replacing the county’s decaying concrete bus stop poles with new modern alternatives. The project, which began this week, will result in a number of benefits and will allow for more efficient maintenance. There are 235 concrete bus stop poles still in place across the county, the majority of which are…
Applications for the Young Person’s Travel Pass and the 16+ Travel Card open today (Monday). People have until July 15 to apply to be sure of having the pass for the first day of the new term this September. The quickest and easiest way to it is online via www.kent.gov.uk/YoungPersonsTravelPass or www.kent.gov.uk/post16travel Renewals for existing…
A new community bus run by a small army of volunteers has been unveiled to its passengers. Since 2010, the elderly residents of Stockbury have seen the service as a lifeline, allowing them to get to Sittingbourne, Maidstone and Hempstead Valley. It was launched by Stockbury Parish Council when the Post Bus service was withdrawn…
There is just a week left to have your say on proposed changes to 17 bus services across the county. Since the consultation started in March, over 300 responses have been received but we want to make sure that everyone who wants to has their say. Kent County Council currently spends £6.4 million on subsidising…
Bus passengers are being asked for their views on changes to 17 services designed to protect journeys as spending on subsidies is reduced. Kent County Council currently spends £6.4million on subsidising 150 contracts across the county. It has already saved more than £1 million from its bus subsidy budget by renegotiating better contracts with bus…